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Unexpected Dinner Outing

I studied most of the afternoon (I have a huge Physiology test on Monday) and didn’t really get hungry! I decided to walk to the grocery store around 5:00 and realized then I didn’t think I could wait for dinner, so I decided on trail mix on my walk home. (It was about 35 minutes of walking round trip)

Trader Joe’s Nuts about Raspberries with the respiratory system!

Once home, I got a call from my mother in law asking us to meet her for a glass of wine when the husband got home. Of course we couldn’t refuse! Despite having bought dinner ingredients, we ended up having dinner at the wine bar since it was nearing 7pm by the time we got settled.

I started with a flight of three white wines – 2 oz each. All three sweet and fruity whites –

The wine bar, Dean and Deluca Wine Room, has small plates, salads and sushi. Since I wasn’t super hungry, I chose the fruit and nut salad with goat’s cheese. It came topped with about 1/3 an oz of cheese, dried cranberries and cherries, walnut pieces, a strawberry, balsamic on the side and a big piece of bread. I ate about half the bread, all of the salad, and about 1/3 of the dressing.

The husband got sushi – a volcano roll and a spicy tuna – and I had one piece of each, plus his pickled ginger and 2 sips of his wine 🙂

While this dinner was probably more calories than the shrimp dish we had planned, I’m not really that full. But I am also not hungry and slightly tipsy (I’m a super lightweight!) so I guess I turned out OK!

I’m going straight to bed before I go raid the cabinets – which is what I have been known to do when I have a little wine in me. I know from experience if I brush my teeth and get in bed there’s no turning back, so that’s my plan as soon as I push publish!! I am planning to get up early tomorrow and do some work before hitting the gym. Then we are having lunch with a new blog reader and her husband – Jennifer and Brian – at Crisp, the best soup/salad place in Charlotte!

Hey Kath,
I just wanted to say that your blog has not only helped my eating/exercise habits but also my work ethic! haha! your blog reveals not only your dedication to a healthy lifestyle but also your incredible diligence! i have to say that ever since you’ve started taking courses, i’ve been motivated to study harder for my tests…strange, but true!

~Kay: you could try some wine with sparkling water. Also, I do not like red wine, but love a blush.

Kath-so glad you mentioned the oats from costco. I finally got a membership and there they were. Outrageous but at Publix the small container was almost $2.
What’s the name of the high fiber cereal from TJ? I want to ask my hubby to get me some.
Have a good night.

Kath, I do the same thing when I get tipsy 🙁 Then I wake up with a full stomach and it doesn’t feel good.
Does anyone have any suggestions for healthy sauces to go over pasta dishes? Preferably not with butter or creamy stuff. I liked the one Kath made a few nights ago with the scallops and penne!!

I really admire your productive lifestyle – waking up early but still getting enough sleep. it’s the way to go! partying all night and sleeping in the next day just because “it’s friday” is sooo overrated.

who cares what she does – if i just have a little bit to drink it makes me so tired & relaxed…usually i just drink past that point to the fun part 🙂 but i definitely have those nights where NOTHING can tempt me from my bed (like tonight…headache booo)

I wish I could go to bed that early. That would be so nice…! I’ve never been a late-night person anyways. My ideal night is me, in the bed, reading at 9 and lights out at 10. Who cares what night of the week it is! 🙂 Your night sounds super fun. I love wine!

I love the little wine tags!! that’s so cute! and very useful. and i’m also an early to bed-er, i’m in bed by 10 (but obviously not tonight considering it is 10:45 when i’m posting this) up by 6, up by 7 on weekends. I just can’t sleep in, never have! Even in college I was always up by 7, and always the only one!

mmm, I love Reisling, I can drink a whole bottle, but I try not to do that too often anymore!
I usually sleep till between 9 or 10 on the weekends, but I have been known to sleep till 12 or 1.
I am running all day, so when I sleep, I am out!

I have a question that you (or other readers too) could shed some insight on…

Last week I was really stressed out and binged on a few different foods throughout the week…dark chocolate, peanut butter, walnuts, almond butter. I keep these foods in stock because they are healthy, but not in the portions I was eating them! I probably would have 6 tbsp of peanut butter with crackers or something in one sitting 🙁 Anyway, I’m seeking help with an eating disorder specialist and also making an appt with an RD.

I was wondering if you think its a good idea to CUT OUT pb and chocolate from my diet for a month (to sort of cleanse, detox my body of the “overdose”). I am confident I will not be “craving” these foods, but what advice would you suggest on this strategy??
Thanks so much!

oh and jlau –
I’ve experienced similar “binges” w/ peanut butter & def. chocolate but I don’t think it’s those foods necessarily that are to blame. If you didn’t have those in the house I’m sure you’d find something else to overeat. I think it’s a great idea to talk to a professional & maybe if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the root cause of your binges…as well as ways to avoid them. Mine was boredom/mindless eating in front of the tv – solution was to eat, then go upstairs to my bed room & let my food sink in & I’d feel full & not even think about eating. Also, I drink hot tea when I want to keep my mouth “busy”. Good luck!!

LT,
I totally agree, hangovers suck anymore. I lose a whole day! And while I still like to clothes shop, I do love the health food/natural stores! They are my favorite place to be. Well, and book stores and Target! Not sure which I love more!

Kath– I LOVE your blog! You (and jenna) have inspired me to start my own food blog, as I have over 100 lbs to loose, and it’s helped me SO much from “Eating that extra T. of peanut butter” as I say…(because I LOVE some peanut butter)

That is one of my suggestions Jlau— start your own food blog, and tell all of your friends about it. You have to be honest with yourself and put down everything you’re eating.. if I just feel like eating when I KNOW my body isn’t hungry, I won’t give in because I know I will have to let everyone know I ate it!!
I also agree with LT, I drink hot tea or have a nice glass of water to curb my appetite.
Maybe find a hobby like knitting to keep your hands and mind occupied.

1) if that was really kath’s mom, that is SO something my mom would write on my blog! so cute.

2) everyone has to find the lifestyle that works for them! clearly, kath is very happy (it shines through her posts and is what makes this journal so much fun to read) and i applaud her for living the way she feels works for her!

3) kath, if you are ever in the raleigh-durham area i am officially inviting you to lunch 🙂

Ginny ,
Glad to hear you’ve upped the studying!! I think you have one change to learn all this info and do well in school, you’ve got to give it your all! (Unless it’s Chem lab…gggg!)

Kay,
My parents used to give me tastes of wine for “alcohol education” when I was in high school and I didn’t really care for it much then. I followed the opposite path as everyone else though – instead of starting with White Zin and the sweet wines, I liked red wine (Cabs!) before anything else and then moved into fruity reds, then dry whites, then buttery whites, then sweet wines, which I used to HATE but now love. I think wine is definitely an acquired taste and there is SO MUCH to learn about it. We have always loved going to wine tastings, wineries and wine festivals because we’re always wanting to learn more about things and learned so much information from doing tastings. You should see if there are any free ones in your area (we have at least 4 places that do free ones on Saturday! We’re tempted to “tasting hop” one of these days!). I also had the incredible opportunity to go to Napa Valley in college and then to Sonoma for my honeymoon, and those trips really opened my eyes – er, palate – to the complexities and subtle differences of wine. But my best advice is to just try a LOT of types in small amounts!

Susa,
Horray for oats! The TJ’s fiber cereal is Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal – just like that! The box is white with brown worm-like cereal bits on the bottom 🙂

You could also make your own pesto with fresh herbs (or baby spinach since basil isn’t in season), Parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil.

Julia,
No, I don’t feel like that’s all I do – you forgot study!! Life can get monotonous at times, but that’s why I like throwing in dinners out and other special events, just our ski trip a few weeks ago. We’ve got 3 weekends this spring with friends/family visiting so that will add some excitement.

Mom,
My room was never that bad!! Except when I put my bed in front of the fireplace for a change. That looked bad.

jlau07 ,
I don’t think you need to cut those foods out – like LT said, they were probably not the cause of the binge. Kudos for seeing a professional about it, but do know that many of us have eaten way too much healthy food that way too. My binges in the past have almost always been triggered by alcohol, so I know that I need to be aware of that when I drink and want to come home after a night out and eat. I would be interested to know what the professionals say, if you don’t mind sharing after the fact.

Steff,
Your blog looks great! And I love those bowls with the faces! Looks like the yellow one just LOVES that he’s full of oatmeal 🙂

Sarah,
Yes, that was my mom. She reads the blog everyday and thought I didn’t want her to post, but I said that was fine! I’m totally up for lunch when I’m in RDU next, but I don’t know when that will be. Let me know if YOU come to Charlotte! Or maybe we could meet in Greensboro one day.

I used to stay up late every night, then just on weekends, and now I never want to be up much past ten-thirty or eleven. I LOVE getting to bed early. I teach college students, and they think I’m lame too. But seeing the sunrise is pretty awesome, and so is feeling that you’ve gotten a lot done before 8am. To each their own, and here’s to the pleasures of getting older (and I”m only thirty!).

I don’t often go out and party late anymore like I used to when I would stay out until 3am dancing, BUT I also don’t like to go to bed extremely early on the weekend. I find going to bed around midnight on weekends is about perfect for me. I get to stay up a little bit later and kick back and do things I normally wouldn’t have time to do…like catch up on a favorite show or movie. I am always up by 8-8:30 so I don’t consider myself wasting the day away either.
To each their own! 🙂

If turning in early is lame I love being lame. I used to stay up late a lot (and party, mostly), but when you wake up late the next day and you just don’t feel right, because you’ve been messing with your body’s internal clock and then the whole day is out of whack…nah, thank you.
I prefer to spend my “off days” feeling great.

Hi Kath,
Your blog is awesome. I’ve been going through reading all the archives 🙂

I live in Greensboro and have a close friend who lives in Concord (she’s new to that area). She’s never tried sushi before so I’d love to take her next time I go to visit. I was curious if you knew of a good sushi place toward Concord?